Abstract:

This study aimed to investigate the potential impact of Metacognitive Reading Strategies (MRSs) in an early literacy acquisition context for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. The primary intervention comprised Problem-solving Reading Strategies (PROBs) developed by Mokhtari and Reichard (2002). The objective was to enhance reading comprehension among Moroccan EFL middle school students through a metacognitive intervention. To this end, 31 middle school students from a Cambridge-authorized center in Morocco were recruited and assigned to an experimental group and a control group. Implementing the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA model) for MRS instruction, the experimental group was exposed to PROBs over a whole semester. The primary data collection instrument was a standardized A2 Key for Schools Reading Test by Cambridge University. Statistical analyses, including Paired t-tests and Independent t-tests, revealed that the explicit instruction of PROBs is feasible at the early stages of literacy acquisition. The EFL students responded positively to the metacognitive intervention, demonstrating that their cognitive abilities are adequately developed to undertake metacognitive tasks. This key finding suggests that these learners' cognitive readiness is sufficient to accommodate advanced strategies. Furthermore, the application of MRSs through PROBs was shown to improve reading comprehension performance, albeit with modest gains. This highlights the potential benefits of introducing EFL students to MRSs, as their cognitive processes are capable of interacting with these strategies. The study also outlines further research implications and suggestions for effective MRS instruction.

Keywords:

Early literacy acquisition, explicit teaching, metacognitive skills, Moroccan EFL middle schoolers, reading.